A clubber has won £28,000 compensation after a Merseyside Police officer allegedly punched him and threatened: “Do you want me to shoot you?”.

The 21-year-old sued the force, claiming he was attacked while in handcuffs and arrested as part of a “competition” between two patrol officers.

He was 17-years-old when he was left with bruising, bumps and a chipped tooth in the alleged police van assault, in Oct-ober, 2010.

The force settled the case out-of-court but did not admit wrongdoing.

The officer alleged to have been involved, PC Peter Locke, has since left the force, although his departure is unconnected.

Chris Topping, from city solicitors Broudie Jackson Canter, said their client – who has not been named – was detained while trying to protect a friend who had been attacked and abused outside Popworld in Wood Street.

Mr Topping said: “He told the officer he had done nothing wrong and that they should speak to the person who had been abusive and aggressive.

“He was marched over to the side of the police van, handcuffed and told to sit down.

“PC Locke was talking to the driver of the vehicle and he said ‘one nil to me’. It appeared that there was a competition going on.”

According to papers served by lawyers at Liverpool County Court, the alleged victim claimed that he was then assaulted and left bleeding from the mouth, as well as suffering injuries to his head and back.

The claim reads: “At some point during the journey, the van stopped.

“The claimant thought that he had reached the police station and stood up. However, he was pushed forward by PC Locke and fell over into the next row of seats in the van.’’

The claim continued: “While he was face down in the seats, he heard the sound of a door opening, then was punched twice to the head.

“The claimant was pulled onto his knees and the position of the handcuffs was changed, so that the claimant was now handcuffed with his hands behind his back.

“PC Locke threatened the claimant, saying something like ‘do you want me to shoot you?’, which alarmed him, since PC Locke had a Taser gun.”

The teenager was charged with being drunk and disorderly and assaulting PC Locke. But he was found not guilty in a youth court trial, with a judge concluding that he was “most unimpressed” with the officer’s evidence.

The civil claim was then launched, with solicitors claiming that PC Locke “fabricated allegations” and “was charged in order to deflect attention from the unlawful conduct towards him.”

Mr Topping said his client had suffered a “long and difficult battle” to secure compensation.

He said: “No-one would expect to be the victim of the police when on a night out – rather, we expect them to protect and look after our young people.

“What happened to this young man was a life-altering experience and one which caused him and his family a great deal of anguish.

“He faced the ordeal of criminal proceedings and then even when these ended it took a great deal of time and effort to obtain justice.

“The payment of compensation is a recognition of the appalling behaviour of the police.”

A spokesman for Merseyside Police said: “We carefully considered this civil claim, including a full examination of the facts by the force’s legal team.

“The force can confirm it sought advice and a settlement amount was negotiated before the case was considered by the courts.

“Merseyside Police is absolutely committed to providing the best possible policing service it can to the communities it serves and expects its officers and staff to demonstrate the highest levels of integrity and professional standards.”